Birmingham’s director of public health says Government plans to tackle air pollution may not go far enough to end the crisis.

And Dr Adrian Philips was speaking after the Department for the Environment announced it will ban diesel and petrol cars by 2040 as well as offer councils £225 million for pollution busting projects.

He is currently advising the city council on plans for a clean air zone around the city centre, under which heavy polluting commercial vehicles, such as vans, lorries and coaches, will be charged.

And working on further measures to reduce pollution in Birmingham and cut the estimated 900 premature deaths a year in Birmingham linked to bad air.

Dr Philips said: “The announcement of additional funding to tackle some of the causes of air pollution is welcome. However, we are concerned that today’s plan is only aiming for legal compliance or stopping a fine, not improving the long-term wellbeing of Birmingham or the sustainable inclusive economic growth of the city.”

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The Government was forced to announce air quality improvement plans following a High Court ruling and faces hefty EU fines if it does not do enough to reduce pollution in cities, including Birmingham, to safe levels by 2020. Among measures being considered are additional charges to deter diesel cars from key roads or a scrappage scheme offering cash incentives for motorists to switch to electric cars.

Dr Philips added: “We are clear that any measures implemented in Birmingham, including a Clean Air Zone, must be based on robust evidence, which we are currently gathering in order to develop our proposals ahead of a full public consultation. This is in addition to the work we are already doing to improve air quality across the city.

“The challenge is enormous and our greatest concern is that the time for councils to take real action is fast running out, yet they bear the brunt of the health and economic problems. Responsibility should not rest solely with local authorities.

“The council believes that clean air is a basic human right and air pollution is a major issue for all of us as it affects our health and the health of our children and has a cradle to grave impact. We all have a responsibility to improve air quality as quickly as possible.”

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His comments were echoed by the leaders of six of England’s major cities, including Birmingham’s John Clancy, who in a joint letter to Environment Secretary Michael Gove have described the Government’s proposals and funding as ‘inadequate’ to deal with the scale of the problem.

And the ClientEarth, the environmental law firm which took the legal action against described the Government’s plan as “underwhelming and lacking in urgency”.